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Nominees for the Naledi Theatre Awards have been announced, and in a few days the winners will receive their accolades.
Sibu Radebe as Lefou in Beauty and the Beast
THE cream of the theatre crop will be named at the 2008 Naledi Theatre Awards ceremony on Sunday, 19 April.
Starting at 5pm, the ceremony will take place at the Drama Theatre of the South African State Theatre, in Pretoria.
The Naledis - Gauteng's major theatre awards - are held annually to promote local theatre, and recognise and reward theatre practitioners for their excellence and contribution to national theatre and the performing arts.
Dawn Lindberg, the executive director of the Naledis and the chairperson of Theatre Management of South Africa, notes that the awards are tailored to raise the profile of South African theatre. They aspire to "become branded as the most respected award system for live theatre in South Africa", she says.
Ismail Mahomed, a Naledi board member, says that through recognising local theatrical performances and talent, "in future we will be able to produce a galaxy of producers, actors, actresses and directors that people can look up to with a sense of pride; this is what the Naledi Awards are all about".
The awards are proudly South African and only South African-born producers, directors, actors and designers are eligible. They cover all mainstream professional productions staged in Gauteng - most in Joburg - between 1 January and 31 December each year.
Lindberg explains: "The Naledi Theatre Awards aspire to recognise and reward individuals, groups and companies within the performing arts in the Gauteng province, and thereby raise the profile of live theatre and create awareness of the abundant talent alive and well on our stages."
Categories
There are 25 categories in total and more than 50 finalists, including artists, groups, companies and theatre productions. This is the sixth consecutive year of the awards. Finalists are chosen from a list of nominations submitted by the public.
Fezile Mpela as Lakunle in The Lion and the Jewel
The categories include: best new South African plays produced; newcomer / breakthrough performers and community theatre, which is a major section of the local theatre scene; best production of a straight play / comedy; best production of a musical; best director of a play or musical; best performance by an actress in a lead role; best musical director; best production cutting edge / ensemble; best comedy performance; best theatre set design; and best theatre sound design / sound effects, among others.
Among Joburg's nominees are Dorothy-Ann Gould for Best Performance by an Actress in a Lead Role, for Hello and Goodbye, and Nthati Moshesh, for The Lion and the Jewel; Sibu Radebe for Best Performance by a Newcomer / Breakthrough (Male), for Beauty and the Beast; Hello and Goodbye, for Best Production of a Straight Play; Fezile Mpela for Best Performance by an Actor in a Lead Role, for The Lion and The Jewel; Sibu Radebe for Best Comedy Performance (Male), for Beauty and the Beast; and Tamara Dey for Best Performance by a Newcomer / Breakthrough (Female), for The Rocky Horror Show.
The 15 judges include well-known academics, performers and media personalities, such as like Tselane Tambo, freelance journalist and theatre producer Mandla Motau, television producer Paul Boekkooi, journalist and critic Peter Feldman, and producer and director Welcome Msomi. They are obliged to attend a minimum of 75 percent of the 80-plus productions throughout the year. They are informed, regular theatre-goers and members of the media covering the arts in Johannesburg; the judging of the Naledi Theatre Awards is verified by an independent auditor.
Judges were chosen, Lindberg notes, because they represent people with knowledge, passion and commitment to the theatre industry and are people who are willing to give their services on a probono basis.
Awards patron
Internationally acclaimed actor and playwright John Kani is the patron of the Naledis. He says theatre awards are the only measure by which development and excellence can be recognised and acknowledged in the performing arts.
"Awards are the only way an artist can realise the growth in their own work and further encourage the desire to improve," says Kani; the Naledis are an integral part of the "development and pursuit of excellence" in the arts.
On the entertainment front, Lindberg says this year's awards ceremony will be "an even bigger and more spectacular affair". Entertainment on the night will feature the Magic Flute, played on marimbas by the entire cast of the Magic Flute; the internationally acclaimed African Children's Choir, and excerpts from Beauty and the Beast, Fat Black Women Sing, and Umoja, among others.
And as always, the lifetime achievement awards will be presented to venerable thespians who have contributed significantly to the theatre industry. Among the more than 48 previous winners are Ken Gampu, Gibson Kente, Alan Joseph, Abigail Kubeka, Miriam Makeba, Pieter Dirk Uys, Lillian Dube, Fiona Fraser, John Kani and Joe Mafela.
Instigated in 2003, the Naledis were founded by Lindberg and endorsed by Theatre Management of South Africa, an umbrella organisation representing all major theatre managements in the country.
"The Naledi Theatre Awards has earned a track record for its commitment to serve the best interests of the live theatre sector and has, from its inception, geared itself to meet the challenging dynamics of growth and transformation in the theatre sector," reads the awards website.
For the past two years, SABC3 has broadcast the 90-minute Naledi Awards special. However, due to far-reaching budget cuts at the national broadcaster this year's ceremony will not be broadcast live.
All the winners of the 2008 Naledi Theatre Awards will be announced on Sunday, 19 April at the Drama Theatre of the South African State Theatre, in Pretoria. The ceremony will start at 5pm.
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